Orphanos: Bereaved
by Satan'sLittleLamb
Summary: Seventeen years ago Matti was put up for adoption, Dr. Lecter had a child he didn't know about, and Agent Starling kept a secret. When Matti's life is unknowingly in danger two people she never wanted to know come to her rescue. The lambs haven't stopped screaming just yet.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone!**

**This is a new story that has always been in my head.**

**I've always been a fan of Hannibal Lecter, they are my favorite movies, books, and Tv series. **

**I just wanted to note that I got my inspiration of the deli and weed smoking scene from Kristopher Reisz's story, Unleash.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this.**

**~Enjoy!**

***Note: anyone of Asian, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. origin, I mean no offense when I use the slang 'chink'. I hate racism, but we're dealing with teenagers, we don't know any better sadly.***

* * *

**Orphanos: Bereaved:**

_**Seventeen years ago Matti was put up for adoption, Dr. Lecter had a child he didn't know about, and Agent Starling kept a secret. When Matti's life is unknowingly in danger two people she never wanted to know come to her rescue.**_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Seattle, Quantico, & Florence**

"I told you. It was just a dumb fight."

"No. What really happened?"

"Nothing worth my time."

Matti and Emma talked in circles throughout the dinner rush. As the night died down, Iggy sent the two in the back to start on the pile of the ever growing dishes. They were only five minutes in when Iggy was shouting for her. "Matti! Your dickhead is back!"

"Jesus Christ." Drying her hands, Matti walked. Brooklynn stood at the counter, his hands tucked away in his pockets. His dark curls fell over his tired eyes, watching as she almost slipped on the wet floor tiles.

"Dickhead?" He asked.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a joke…"

"You know girls like their gossip." Iggy bruised himself at the cash register. "Emma calls you a dickhead on a daily bases. I would too."

"Why don't you go back to kissing Putin's ass?"

"Yeah, you're a dick."

Matti felt her cheeks burn. Seeing her fidget in place, Brooklynn rolled his eyes at himself and changed the subject. "Ready to go?"

"I'm going home with Emma. I told you that."

Brooklynn sighed loudly, he was annoyed. "C'mon, Matti. Can we at least talk?" When she began to click her tongue ring against the top row of her teeth, Brooklyn began to plead. "There's an empty booth in the back, c'mon, just a couple of minutes."

Matti looked at Iggy. "Can I go?"

"Washing finished?"

"Emma's got it."

Iggy grumbled and made his way back to his office. "Clock out then."

Matti followed Brooklynn into the back and sat across from him. "What do you want?"

"To talk. I want to talk to you."

"Then talk, Brooks, I don't have all night." Now she was annoyed.

Brooklynn shifted in his seat. He tried to hold Matti's hand, but she pulled away. He should have known she wouldn't forgive him that easily. "I'm sorry, ok? You were right, I should've listened to you, but I let my male ego get in the way."

Matti shook her head. "No, Brooks, it wasn't your male ego, it was you. You know you can be a real dick if you want to be, and that hurt. It hurt a lot."

"I guess I am a dickhead, huh?" He tried lightening the mood, but it didn't work.

Looking him square in the eyes, Matti said, "You are." And went to go clock out.

**-Page Break-**

"Mildred Reisz. She went missing a week ago. Her parents said that she was going to see a movie with friends, but really went out on a date with her boyfriend who her parents don't approve of. The family claimed that they weren't worried when Mildred wasn't home in the morning, she usually came home around noon, but her boyfriend shows up at the door, and confesses that she was sneaking out to meet him, but she never showed up for their date."

"And now she's here," Officer Reeds mused. "Kent, what do we know about the victim?"

"She's seventeen. She's from New Hampshire, an honor student who was accepted into Loyola University, came from a Catholic background of a very well finical family – old money. From what I could gather, she was a smart, funny, pretty, popular girl who had enemies, but I don't think none of them would do something like this."

"You'd be surprised to find what jealousy can do."

Quinn shook her head. "No, no. Kent is right. Someone with experience did this, Reed." She looked down at the dead girl, shaken by the haunting look in the glossy eyes. "This is exactly like the three other girls, and you know it."

Reed did know it. It was all in the facts, all in the dead bodies – they were dealing with a serial killer. There were three other girls before Mildred; Miriam, Merle, and Mercedes. They each came from a different state, none of them residing in Seattle, nor did any of them have family in the state. All the girls had similar backgrounds, but looked nothing alike. Two of them were brunettes, another was a red head, and the other had blonde hair. Their ethnics were different as well; as were the colleges they were going to. But there was no denying the facts. Someone had it out for a female or women in general that had old fashioned names and a privileged life, and whoever it was certainly didn't like them.

"He hates them," Quinn said. "There's no guilt, no envy, no lust – nothing."

Reed took a good at the victim. He had a picture of Mildred Reisz in his jacket pocket, and she no longer looked like the smiling girl from three months ago. Now she wasn't even recognizable. She was black and blue, evidence that she had been badly beaten was clear. She was laid out naked in the trashy, downtown corner streets, whoever did this wanted the body to be found. Her hands were cuffed together, the raw skin underneath was evidence that the handcuffs were too tight. Like the other females, she was sexually assaulted, but not by a human genital, but by something blunt and large, in both the vagina and anus. But that wasn't even the most disturbing part of these gruesome murders. All four girls had their faces brutally mutilated. Their faces were cut with glass and so badly cut that the entire face was deformed. Mildred's face was cut into an eternal scowl, her left eye sock had ventured down to her cheek. The skin of the face was completely raw, and her hair was also cut off, leaving her bold. There was yet another thing that linked all four girls together, craved into the skin was the word 'orphan'.

Reed had to look away; bile was rising in his throat. "Call the FBI."

**-Page Break-**

A couple minutes later, Matti and Emma slide into the booth across from Brooklynn. "Sorry about Iggy," Matti said, even though she agreed with her boss. "He's an asshole to everyone."

Brooklynn wondered what they could have been saying about him, besides the fact he was dick, but didn't want to annoy Matti anymore tonight. "Where's he from anyway?" He knew it was somewhere in Russia, or some former part of Russia because of his accent.

"Ukraine," Matti yawned.

"Wow. So back to what we were talking about, I really am sorry. This was the first time something like that ever happened, I swear. Did you even see her kiss me? 'Cause I didn't kiss her…"

"I think I left before then."

"Matti, listen to me." He tried to hold her hand again, but she moved away again.

"I am listening, Brooks, but that doesn't mean I want to hear every single detail!"

Brooklynn shook his head. "Yes you do."

"How insensitive of you," Emma said, snacking on a stale cookie. "No wonder all the girls say you're only good for fucking."

Matti's head dropped, she could feel the migraine throbbing above her right eye. "Seriously, guys, knock it off. Shit, I'm too tired."

Brooklynn sneered at Emma who gave him a cheeky smile. He took a breath before he spoke again. Matti was already pissed at him, and he knew that fighting with her best friend wasn't going to help. "Really?" Brooklynn forced a laugh. "Where'd you hear that?"

Emma shook her head. "Can't remember. Just thought I heard someone say that. Like, the only reason you get invited to every party because you promise the girls an orgy." If he was going to play dumb, so was Emma.

"No." Another laugh. "I only get invited because my brother was a party legend or something. Besides I don't always enjoy myself, sometimes I go just to get out of the house."

"Yeah. Same here." Matti agreed.

And just like that, Brooklynn won a minor battle. "So you don't have any plans for tonight?"

Matti took out the tablets of Advil and swallowed them dry before she answered him. "Not really. I've got nothing to do, though I thought about adding to my List."

Matti's List was a giant backboard that was filled with pictures of different places she'd like to visit before she had to finally grow up. She was always adventurous as a child and that was something she never grew out of. Ever since she was a little girl she always wanted to see Italy and France, she spent half of her childhood learning the languages, and as of now she was fluent in French, and could speak little Italian.

Emma got a call from Scott and left the two alone. Matti peered up at Brooklynn and saw him looking anywhere but at her. He was the longest relationship she's ever had, hell; he was the only relationship she's ever had. Matti was never one of those girls who fell in love with all the guys they dated or became friends with, but with Brooklynn it was different. Matti could _see _herself falling in love with him, he was quite loveable, and minus him being a dick at times. Never once had he pressured her into doing something she didn't like and he never tried to change her. He accepted the fact that there would be nights where she would try her damn hardest not to break down and cry over the stupid silly things, but that was something he loved about her. Maybe that's why Matti felt so strongly for him. Brooklynn understood her when she didn't understand herself.

"Matti!" From the counter, Iggy clapped to get her attention. "Time to go."

"We're just sitting here," she said. "You don't close for another hour!"

"Teenagers, I put up with you all day. I should start to bring my marijuana. You clocked out; you're someone else's problem now. Take your dickhead and go."

They gathered their things and headed to the door, but Emma and Matti screamed, "Asshole!" at Iggy before they ran outside. The warmth of the deli was inviting compared to the coldness of the outside. Emma was still talking to Scott. Glancing at Matti, she asked, "What are we doing?"

"Nothing to do."

"We could go see Chink."

Matti looked at Brooklynn. "Do you have to be home soon?" She knew his parents hated it when he stayed out late.

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p'. It was only ten o'clock, and by ten-thirty his mother would be dead to the world sleeping and his father would be passed out drunk. He'd stay out until twelve.

Matti grinned; both Emma and Brooklynn knew that glint in her eyes. "Wanna drive around and smoke weed?"

**-Page Break-**

After going to pick up Scott and Noah, who whined that his girlfriend – Capri – was too much of a good girl, the group drove to Chink's place. Chink was a massive man who gave a grizzly bear a run for its money in the fat and hairy department. He wasn't of any Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, or any background like that; he was a loud, African American man. The teenagers called him Chink because of his eyes. A couple years back, Chink was busted for carrying a large amount of marijuana on him and found cocaine hidden in his car. At the prison, he got into a lot of fights, and one day while fighting, some guy had smuggled in a pair of brass knuckles and repeatedly hit Chink in the face. Ever since then his eyes never fully healed, and he did have vision problems, but he had no problem with the nickname they gave him. He did look like a chink.

Effie, Chink's girl, was there as well with some other woman. As the others pitched in there money for the weed, Matti fell backwards on the couch, falling between the women. "Effie!"

Effie smiled and poked Matti on the nose. "How are you, sweetie?" She asked in a tried, stoned voice.

Besides Valerie Sandler, Effie was the closest thing to a mother Matti ever had. Even though Effie was usually stoned, and Chink was high as a kite off of whatever he could get his hands on, they were like Matti's second parents.

As they waited for Chink to return with their weed, Scott and Brooklynn stood off to the side.

"You know, if you hurt her again not only will Emma be beating your ass, but I will too."

Brooklynn nodded his head. "Yeah, I know."

Scott stared at Brooklynn. He had known him since the ninth grade, when Matti began to date him. Emma and Scott thought he was an ok guy, but they had heard the rumors about him. Emma, from the first day of meeting him, had disliked Brooklynn. She didn't like that he neglected Matti's wants and needs, and Scott knew Emma was right, but Brooklynn had never given Scott reason to question his and Matti's relationship, until now. Matti had been his best friend since grade school, and she was like a sister to him.

They all piled into Matti's old Lincoln and began to drive. Matti tossed Scott the weed and pipe that was in her pocket. Scott carefully filled the pipe bowl as Matti drove around Fifth Avenue. Lightning up, he leaned over to kiss Emma and shotgun smoke in her mouth.

Matti should have been home by now. At first, mental images of being pulled over and hauled off to jail came to mind, but the weed and the heater engulfed them in smoke as she threaded through the neighborhoods at night. This wasn't the first time the group had done this, and it wouldn't be the first time Matti's parents would have to bail her out of jail. They passed the pipe around, talking about things like music and movies. Soon enough they were all giggling like a bunch of school girls, intoxicated by the marijuana.

"My sister went to Hollywood once, ya know," Noah said. "She wanted to be an actress but sucked major ass. She went into the porn industry instead."

"Your sister is a porn star?" Emma asked, her eyes widened. "That's so cool."

Noah shuddered. "No, it's not. Do you know how strange it was to see my sister in an anal video?" He shuddered. "I never watch porn anymore."

"Shit, I'd watch it." Scott yelped when Emma hit him.

"How'd your parents react?" Matti asked. She made multiple smoke rings.

"They don't talk to her anymore." Noah took the pipe from Matti. "Teach me to do that."

As Matti was teaching Noah how to make smoke rings, Brooklynn turned on the radio and flipped through the satiations. He went through a couple of news broadcastings, all about the murdered girls, which was up to four dead now.

"Mildred…fourth girl…missing…serial mur…FBI…justice…"

Matti scrunched up her nose, making a face of disgust. "Mildred? That's ugly."

Emma snorted; smoke came out of her nose. "Yeah, and Matilda isn't."

"Fuck you." Matti reached behind her and punched Emma's shins. "Let's not forget to add Emma Edythe Eamon."

Emma glared at Matti. "Fuck you, bitch."

"Love ya too, bestie!" Matti winked at Emma through the rearview mirror.

After they drove around for another fifteen minutes, the group drove down a peaceful neighborhood, creeping quietly through the streets.

"Hey, Noah, Capri should still be up, right?" Emma asked, looking at Matti through the mirror. Emma knew that Matti wasn't Capri's biggest fan; she just tolerated the girl for Noah's sake. And Emma used that information to her advantage, just to annoy her best friend.

"Uh, yeah." It sounded more like a question.

"You wanna call her? Matti wouldn't mind picking her up," Emma offered sweetly.

"Uh, she's planning something for the pep rally. They're meeting tonight. I called her before, but she bit my head off, lecturing me how I should consider the choices I make."

"Capri's in English class with Matti and I," Emma said. "She's really nice, right, Matt?"

Matti didn't say anything. She passed the pipe to Brooklynn who was looking up at the roof of the car and had unusually quiet. He normally was the main person talking; you couldn't get him to shut up. Somewhere, in a sober part of Matti's mind, she made a note to ask him about his silence later one.

Noah remembered Capri's comment about Emma's back fat. "Yeah," he nodded, eagerly taking another hit of the weed.

"COP!" Brooklynn yelled. "Copcopcop!"

Matti eased to the red light beside the cop car. Noah dropped the pipe to the floor. They could feel their chest start to burn, begging for air, but they didn't dare exhale. They all stared straight ahead. Scott mumbled curses between his clenched teeth. Matti fought hard to hold in her laughter, Scott always freaked out when a cop was around. Brooklynn watched as Matti's shoulders quivered with silent laughter, feeling the urge to laugh himself now. He smacked her arm, but that only made her shake harder and she placed a hand over her mouth. Matti's eyes began to water. She stole a glance at the cops in the car, they were talking, but their words were muffled by the windows.

Finally, the light turned green. Matti didn't wait for the cruiser to go ahead of them; she let out the breath of smoke, choking on her laughter when Emma smacked her upside the head. When the cop car's taillights were seen, the other's let the smoke out their mouths and nostrils. Scott reached over and slapped Matti on the shoulders.

"What the hell, Matt? We could've been pulled over!" Emma ran her fingers through her hair. The others agreed with her.

"Fucking pussies," Matti giggled.

**-Page Break-**

_Dear Clarice,_

_ I have followed with enthusiasm the course of your disgrace and public shaming. My own never bothered me except for the inconvenience of being incarcerated, but you may lack perspective. In our discussions down in the dungeon it was apparent to me that your father, the dead night watchman, figures largely in your value system. I think your success in putting an end to James Gumb's career as a couturier pleased you most because you could imagine your father being pleased. But now, alas, you're in bad odor with the FBI. _

_ Do you imagine your daddy being shamed by your disgrace? Do you see him in his plain pine box crushed by your failure? A sorry, petty end of a promising career? What is worst about this humiliation, Clarice? Is it how your failure will reflect your mommy and daddy? Is your worst fear that people will now and forever believe they were indeed just good old trailer camp, tornado bait white trash and that perhaps you are too? Hmm? _

_ By the way, I couldn't help noticing on the FBI's rather dull public website that I have been hoisted from the Bureau's archives of the common criminal and elevated to the more prestigious 10 Most Wanted list. Is this coincidence, or are you back on the case? If so, goody goody, cause I need to come out of retirement and return to public life. _

_ I imagine you sitting in a dark basement room bent over papers and computer screens. Is that accurate? Please tell me truly, Special Agent Starling. _

_ Regards, your old pal,_

_ Hannibal Lecter, M.D._

_ P.S. Clearly this new assignment is not your choice rather I suppose it is a part of the bargain, but you accepted it, Clarice. Your job is to craft my doom. So I am not sure how well I should wish you, but I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun. Oh, and I do hope you find the killer of those girls before another one perishes. _

_ Tata,_

_ H._

"Shit," Clarice sighed. Turning the paper over, there was a naked drawing of her with a man. She didn't know whether it was God or the devil, but she wasn't disturbed by the picture as she should have been. After Lecter fled America years ago, the FBI recovered drawings of Clarice from Lecter's cell. They were master pieces, and Clarice secretly adored them. She wished she could have kept them, for they were personal, but the drawings were kept as evidence.

She hated how easily he got to her. It had been years since she had last saw Lecter, and yet this single letter sent her into overdrive. How he did, she'd never know. Lecter was a mystery to her still, even though she had been studying his files ever since his disappearance. Even though it was her job to bring Lecter to an end, Clarice didn't feel right with the fact. Her stomach was unsettled thinking about it, knowing well enough that Lecter would be placed on death row the moment he was captured. There would be no trail, no fight, just an immediate conviction, and Lecter himself knew it. Wherever he was, Clarice hoped he stayed in hiding, but another part of her, the part she hated about herself, wanted him to come out. She wanted him to continue his cannibalistic murders just so she knew he was still alive, to know that he still wanted her. It was sick and twisted, but Clarice craved it.

_"…and I hope you find the killer of those girls before another one perishes."_

That last sentence haunted her more than anything he wrote. The killings of the teenaged girls in Seattle had shaken up the Bureau. The murders were sick, sadistic, and plain evil. The condition the females were left in were unspeakable, no human being could do such a thing. Clarice knew the girls' name by heart; Miriam, Merle, Mercedes, and Mildred. Unconsciously, Clarice's mind added Matilda to the list.

"Fuck," she drawled out. "Stop it, Clarice. Stop it." She shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts. What happened happened. It was seventeen years ago, Clarice should have been over thoughts like that, but at times she couldn't help it.

"Talking to yourself now, Starling?"

Clarice jumped, not noticing someone else in the room with her. In the corner that was lit by a single light bulb was Paul Krendler. Inwardly, Clarice groaned. She had never liked Paul. He was a sexist and a cheater. He used his position with the Bureau to get what he wanted, and no objected. Paul was interested in Clarice, she knew that, and she absolutely was disgusted by it. For one, Paul was married, and Clarice would never be the woman to casually have an affair. Secondly, Paul worked alongside Clarice and was at a higher branch than she was. She wasn't stupid, she knew people would say she was sleeping with him just to move up in the Bureau; and thirdly, she hated Paul with a passion.

"What are you doing here, Paul?"

Tactlessly flipping through the files of the murder cases in Seattle, Paul shrugged. "You've been down here for a while." He took a sip of his coffee. "Thought I would check on you."

"Thank you, but as you can see I'm fine." Clarice noticed that they were alone down in the dark basement.

Paul strolled over to her. "You seem tense, Starling. Anything I can help you with?"

"Haven't I rejected you enough to wound your ego, Krendler?" Clarice was annoyed that the man couldn't take a hint.

"Jeesh, Starling, I was only asking," Paul said. He stepped closer, though, and loomed over her. "Watch your back, Starling. You're on thin ice right now, and it wouldn't be wise to piss me off."

Clarice sat up straight and squared her shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind." She turned back around in her chair. "Goodnight, Krendler."

Paul left without a word, leaving Clarice alone once more. She read over Lecter's letter for a second time, and just as she was half way through it again she noted an odd scent coming from the paper. She gathered her things together and placed the letter back in its envelope. She headed towards the nearest perfume shop.

**-Page Break-**

Hannibal was relaxed.

In one hand was a wine glass filled with red wine, the best Florence had. His other hand was moving along with the melody of the music, as if he was directing the players himself. The music that was echoing throughout his house was Giuseppe Verdi's Dies Irae, or Day of Anger. The music depicted God's wrath inflicted on mankind during Armageddon, and was a furious incarnation of melody and harmony that was ever put on paper. Verdi was a very devoted Catholic, and even though Hannibal did not believe in God, Verdi's music gave a sense of divine serenity. The composed music of Verdi was deeply religious, glorious, and terrifying. It was hauntingly beautiful, and Hannibal loved it.

The computer screen was still black, the green loading symbol running slow. Lucky, Hannibal was a man who had patience, but he was slightly annoyed at the system America had. They were supposed to be a well-developed country, the best there was, but yet their computer system was horrendously terrible.

Finally, the file loaded. Hannibal scrolled through the file the FBI had on Clarice Starling. Hacking the system was far too easy, and he wasn't worried about them noticing him snooping around. He was like a ghost in the file, thankful chips and bugs that made hackers anonymous if they knew how to use them correctly.

Most of what he found was basic information; he already knew it or found it uninteresting. "What are you hiding, Clarice?" He continued to scroll through her file until he found something that caught his eyes.

Seventeen years ago Clarice had taken an STD – Short Term Disability. It didn't say why, but Hannibal could think up of some possible reasons. There was illness, injuries, a death of a friend, or just playing hooky that day, but Hannibal knew that none of those reasons fitted Clarice. The only other reason he could think of was childbirth, but Clarice was never pregnant, he would have smelt that.

The further he went into her STD, the more confused he became. The file said that she had taken off for six weeks; the Bureau had paid for her time off, which was unusual in America. "What were you doing for six weeks, Clarice?" He dug further and further into her file, but he seemed to have come to a dead end. That was until he stumbled upon a case.

The case was about the missing orphans that happened ten years ago. Someone was abducting orphans and caring for them as if the children were their own, that was until the children showed up dead. It seemed Clarice had taken a special interest in the case, which was quite unusual to Hannibal. Why would Clarice take such an interest in a case such as this? Normally Clarice was in the line of action, tracking down the bad guys, not staying behind and staying in the back ground. The case, however, was solved when Clarice had spoken to a seven-year-old orphan, claiming that she knew who was killing the children. The little girl who helped the FBI had been right and helped put the director of the orphanage behind bars. The identity of the orphan girl was never released; Hannibal noted that Clarice wanted to protect the girl. Hannibal also noted that the murders and the young girl that Clarice protected were from a Lutheran orphanage in North Virginia; the same orphanage Clarice said she was placed in after she ran from the farm.

For the first time in a long time, Hannibal's insides fluttered with what he described as butterflies. "Clarice, you naughty, naughty girl."

* * *

**What do you think?**

**Please tell me what you think, it'd mean a lot to me.**

**Until next time! xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is set during season 3 of Hannibal, and how I think it should go. Most of the scenes are related to the book Hannibal, and Will and Jack will make an appearance in my story, but not anytime soon.**

**I do not own anyone or anything except for Matti and her friends.**

**~Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Homeless, Rich, Privileged**

It was another nothing-better-to-do Monday after noon. Matti was on her own today, Emma was home sick. She thought about going to the deli just to piss Iggy off, he hated it when she or Emma came in on their day off. Matti decided to hang out at the gas station with Scott. She sipped on her Pepsi and listened to Scott recount the three-way battle she had gotten into with her adoptive parents.

Scott crashed on Matti's sofa a lot, escaping the ongoing legal battles between his parents. He had a key, but Matti's adoptive father was a cop and slept with a gun, so he usually slipped through her bedroom window. Matti's adoptive father was an asshole who was nothing but crude words and wormy stares. Scott didn't trust Matti alone with him so he normally made her come to work with him when she was off. Emma was usually be here as well, but Scott's boss wouldn't appreciate all the vomit.

"Okay, so you pin it up and Valerie sees it first, right?" Sharing a smoke with Matti was Angie Mickens. She grew up with Matti, Scott, and Emma and even lived in the same neighborhood as the three of them.

"Pinned nothing. I glued that shit up there," Matti said.

Scott had stepped out in the back to take his smoke break. Gupta, Scott's boss, allowed costumers to smoke inside, but not employees. Matti hopped over the counter when she heard the back door close and took two packs of Marlboros and two packs of Cambridges for Angie. She handed Angie a lighter and stuffed one of her own into her bra.

"You did not."

"Hell, yeah, I did. That mother…"

Both girls looked up when the automatic door chime sounded. The homeless man walked into the store, smelling of something foul. His skin was burnished brown like old wood, stretched thin across knuckles and the knots of his collarbone. A tanned rat, black as night, nestled in the palm of his hand.

His name was Hide. Matti had seen him panhandling around Waterfront before, but had only seen him up close once.

After church one Sunday morning, her family had stopped at McDonald's for breakfast. Hide had been there, rat in his dirty palm. He wanted to get some food but only had a handful of change. The manger kept telling him to go away, saying the rat couldn't be there, anyway.

As Matti's family walked in, the homeless man smiled at her adoptive father.

"Morning, Officer Sandler."

"Hey, Hide."

Joey Sandler stepped into the argument and calmed the manager down. He wound up buying Hide some food and a cup of coffee while the old man waited outside.

"You know that guy?" The six-year-old that Valerie Sandler babysat asked Matti's adoptive father when he came back inside.

"Oh, yeah. Hide's a legend. Even before I joined the force."

"What's he a legend for?"

"Says strange stuff sometimes," he said through a mouth full of pancakes. The six-year-old continued to press him on what that meant. He shook his head and shrugged. "Things that get to people."

But now, as Hide entered the store and approached the counter, Matti noticed the milky blue cataract overlapping his left eyeball. He said hello in a soft mumble and asked Matti for a pack of Marlboros. Even though she didn't work there, Matti rang him up, stabbing at the cash register with a careful finger. Angie kept quiet, watching the rat watch her.

"That'll be four eighty-six, please," Matti said.

The old man patted his pockets and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't have any money."

"Well…I can't really give you the cigarettes then. I don't even work here," Matti said. "Sorry."

"Suppose I gave you something better than money?"

Matti raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Well?" Hide looked down at his pet rat. "What does she want?"

Angie glanced at Matti, then at the silent alarm button underneath the counter. Matti tried not to laugh. "Look man…"

The rat scurried off of Hide's palm and onto the counter. Both girls jerked back. Beady, red eyes flashed across the glass, regarding both girls for a second.

"You want to go home," Hide answered.

Matti smirked. "No, actually. I want to…"

He shifted his attention to Angie. "I know what you want, honey."

"What's that?" Angie wanted him to leave. His eyes were like dead fish. It made her squirm when he called her "honey".

"You'd burn the world down to be beautiful, wouldn't ya?"

"What the hell?" Matti stared at him. "You're walking around telling people whose beautiful and not? You don't have any fucking teeth, crackhead."

The comment made Angie smile. Since she was little she had always had an issue with her looks. She was either not pretty enough, too plain, or overly outdid herself. She just could never find the perfect balance and look for herself. Staring at Hide, she knew there was once a charming, poetic man underneath the tobacco stained whiskers.

Hide shrugged. "There's a difference between beautiful and pretty."

Matti's facial expression never wavered. "There's a difference between weird and creepy, too. Look, if I owned the store I'd give you the cigarettes, but I don't."

"I'll pay," Angie said.

"What?"

Pulling out five dollars, Angie offered it too Matti. "I'll pay for the cigarettes."

Matti stared at Angie and handed her the change back.

"Thank you." Hide smiled toothlessly. He stuffed the cigarettes into his ratty coat.

"Get out, now," Matti said, staring the old man down.

Hide had seen and heard every voice and look a person could muster, but Matti did look and sound very intimidating. He turned back to Angie. "The Witches Carnival is stopping in Kenmore tonight."

"What part of 'get out' don't you understand?"

"Would you like to come?" Hide ignored Matti.

"Uh…" Angie could feel Matti's intense stare on the side of her face. "Ok, sure."

Matti couldn't believe Angie agreed to go with the creep. Kenmore was four hours away by foot and twenty one minutes by bus. "Great, you've found yourself a buddy. Now get the fuck out."

As Hide pulled Angie along with him, she looked back at Matti and gave her a look that told her she was sorry, but Matti didn't care. When the front door closed, the back one opened and Scott looked around.

"Where's Angie?"

"Getting chopped to pieces," Matti grumbled.

**-Page Break-**

Once again, Clarice Starling was sitting beside Mason Verger's bed. The last time she was here, she had been surprised by his deformed face, but not scared. He had been covered by the darkness when she had entered the room, but by his speech, Clarice knew that something was wrong with him. She just hadn't expected his face to be mutilated so viciously. She knew how it had happened too. Even though she knew what Hannibal did to Verger it didn't frighten her. She was never frightened of Hannibal. Although, she was secretly glad that Hannibal made Verger suffer. She didn't know Mason personally (and she didn't want to), but something was off with the man. Very off.

"Mr. Verger, even though this had nothing to do with anything regarding the FBI, I must record this conversation."

"Go on," Verger was excited for some reason. "You're just doing your job, Agent."

"Right," Clarice muttered. He gave her the creeps. "Now, Mr. Verger, why did you call me?"

Mason licked his practically nonexistent lips. He didn't look at Clarice. "You've been assigned to the case of the missing girls found in Seattle, haven't you?"

"No, sir, I have not."

Mason wrapped his tongue tube-like around a pipe and puffed with the next stroke of his respirator. "Why is that, Agent Starling?"

"My boss has me working on Dr. Lecter's case already. I can't take on two cases."

"Pity." Mason sounded uninterested. "You know, Agent Starling, I've learnt to forgive those who wronged me. Could you forgive them?"

He turned his head in her direction. His only workable eye was a striking blue orb and pierced her soul. The other was a glass eye, moving whenever he moved.

Clarice squirmed in her seat. She cleared her throat. "I'd like to say I could, yes."

"Do you have children, Agent Starling?"

Before Clarice could answer him, Mason continued talking. "I just love children. Especially boys. I've always wanted to find that special someone and adopt – one boy and one girl. My father, he owned an estate that held various farm animals. Out of the goodness of his heart he'd allow the local Boys and Girls club visit every weekend, and they would ride the ponies. Yes, the kids loved it, and I loved watching them be happy. Precious things children are. The world's future."

Clarice nodded her head. "Yes, the world's future." She had to get off this topic. She just couldn't handle it. Her actions from seventeen years ago still haunted her; she was still ashamed for what she did. Even though it was to protect her, Clarice still cried herself to sleep at night. Every birthday that past Clarice would light a single candle and blow it out, praying that the baby she gave over to the state was alright and happy, that one day she could understand why Clarice had put her in an orphanage. She prayed that she would be forgiven.

_"Goodbye, Clarice. Will you let me know if ever the lambs stop screaming?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ Penny was taking her arm. It was go or fight him._

_ "Yes," she said. "I'll tell you."_

_ "Do you promise?"_

_ "Yes."_

The lambs hadn't stopped screaming. They had seemed to multiple the moment she had sent her newborn daughter away. Clarice knew that one day Hannibal would return, out of the blue on a sunny day, and ask her if they had stopped. She just wasn't sure how she would respond to him. Would she lie and tell him yes, or would she tell him the truth? The truth that she had kept to herself for seventeen years. Clarice knew the simplest answer would be to lie, and she was positive she would do just that. She worked hard to keep her daughter safe and a secret. She wasn't going to let anyone jeopardize that, not even the father of her only child.

Coming back to reality, Clarice nodded her head, acting as if though she heard all of what Verger had said. "Mr. Verger, have you thought of anything else that could help us catch…"

"Dr. Lecter, Dr. Lecter, Dr. Lecter," Mason sang. It looked like he was moving his head side to side. "Don't you ever tire of talking about him? I know I do. And I didn't call you to speak about Dr. Lecter, but about the missing girls."

"What about them, Sir?"

"They're dead, Agent Starling. That's what about them. Dead, gone from the world," Mason sighed. "It must be nice. No more worries or responsibilities. The only thing they have to do now is sleep."

Clarice didn't respond. She had a feeling Mason didn't want her to. He kept his one good eye on her, searching her face. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"Yes, it does."

"Hm," Mason grunted. "Doesn't seem like it. Those poor girls, why, I've remembered their names. Miriam, Merle, Mercedes, and Mildred. I wonder who is next."

"I'd hope no one, Sir," Clarice said.

"I think it's going to be a Matilda."

**-Page Break-**

Matti pulled into the driveway two hours past her curfew. She knew she was in trouble, but she didn't care. It wasn't the first time and it wasn't going to be the last. She pushed the door open and saw her adoptive father sitting on the couch. Matti didn't look at him. She walked forwards through the living room and down the hall.

Her adoptive father followed her into her bedroom without a word. Matti slipped her jacket off and he held out his hands.

"Give me your keys."

Matti handed them over without a word. He slipped them into his pocket.

"When you learn to mind the rules you can drive again," he said. "Until then, I'm keeping these."

"Fine." Matti stared at her bed, longing for the sleep she was deprived last night. Her adoptive father stood behind her, but Matti acted like she didn't noticed. He was just leaving when it sunk out.

"We weren't doing anything."

Joey Sandler turned on his heels. "I don't want to know what you were doing, Matti. It doesn't matter. You're supposed to be home by eleven. Why can't you manage that?"

Because she was pissed at Angie for taking off with some creep and Scott had told her to stay and cool off. Because she didn't want to come home at all, and just run away and never return. Because she was at the gas station, and not in the projects smoking crack.

"Okay, Joey."

"No, it's not okay," he said. Matti wished he would just leave. "I can't figure out why you're the only person on Earth who doesn't have to follow any rules. I can't figure how you got so lucky."

Matti snorted. "I'm not. Trust me." If she had kept her mouth shut he would have been gone by now.

"That's right, you're not." He jingled the keys in his pocket. "And when you think you can come home by the time you're supposed to be, you can have these back."

"Fine. Whatever."

Joey left, shutting the door behind him.

**-Page Break-**

"Fuck it. Let's skip," Brooklynn said. They were sitting outside, despite the few drops of rain here and there. They yawned and blinked the sleep away, but didn't say much. First bell had rung and a few people made their way in.

Scott nodded his head. "You've got some good ideas sometimes, Brooks. They should give you C-'s."

"I'm in if you guys are in," Emma said.

"Me too," Matti added.

"You know I'm gamed," Noah said.

They all looked at Capri.

"What do you want to do?"

Matti snorted. "Not be here. That's enough. Isn't it?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Capri King, have you ever skipped school before?" Emma asked.

"Yes."

"I don't mean playing sick and getting mommy to write you a note. I mean out on the town, free as a bird, skipped school."

"Well…"

"Oh, that's so cute." Matti pinched her cheeks. "No wonder the teachers love you."

"Such a responsible young girl," Scott mocked.

Capri brushed Matti's hand away. "Okay, okay, but if we skip where are we gonna go? It isn't exactly a perfect day."

Noah wrapped his arms around Capri and agreed. "You think Iggy would let us stay?"

"He'd call the school," Emma said.

"Just to be an asshole," Matti said.

Brooklynn stood up and cracked his neck. "Let's go to Black Bottle."

"We don't have any money." Noah pulled his pockets out just to prove a point.

"Hey. Let's stop at my house on the way," Matti said.

"For what?" Emma asked.

"Money."

Scott nodded his head. "Cool. How much you got?"

"I'm broke, but you know Joey's a cop, right?"

They all nodded.

Matti knew that Valarie and Joey would be pissed when they found out she didn't attend school. She also knew that not even Emma and Scott didn't know what she was going to say next. She was already in trouble; she might as well have her fun. "Did you know he's crooked?"

**-Page Break-**

"Good evening, Dr. Fell," Pazzi said.

"Good evening, _Commendatore_," the doctor said. He waited with a slight inclination of the head, until Pazzi had to make the introduction.

"Laura, allow me to present Dr. Fell. Doctor, this Signora Pazzi, my wife."

Signora Pazzi, accustomed to being praised for her beauty, found what followed curiously charming, though her husband did not.

"Thank you for the privilege, _Commendatore_," the doctor said. His red and pointed tongue appeared for an instant before he bent over Signora Pazzi's hand; his lips perhaps close enough to the skin than was customary in Florence, certainly close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin.

Her scent was nothing like Clarice's. Signora Pazzi was drowned in expensive perfume and body lotion. He could smell the coconut body wash she always uses. He missed the smell of Clarice, even though he burnt it to his memory. Evyan skin crème and L'Air du Temps, it was a lovely combination and Hannibal always had seeked both products just to catch a whiff of it.

His eyes rose to her before his sleek head lifted.

"I think you particularly enjoy Scarlatti, Signora Pazzi."

"Yes, I do."

"It was pleasure to see you following the score. Hardly anyone does it anymore. I hoped that this might interest you." He took a portfolio from under his arm. It was an antique score on parchment, hand-copied. "This is from the Teatro Capranica in Rome, from 1688, the year the piece was written."

"_Meraviglioso! _Look at this, Rinaldo!"

"I marked in overlay some of the differences from the modern score as the first movement went along," Dr. Lecter said. "It might amuse you to follow along in the second. Please, take it. I can always retrieve it from Signor Pazzi – is that permissible, _Commendatore_?"

The doctor looked deeply, very deeply as Pazzi replied.

"If it would please you, Laura," Pazzi said. A beat of thought. "Will you be addressing the Studiolo, Doctor?"

"Yes, Friday night in fact. Sogliato can't wait to see me discredited."

"I have to be in the old city," Pazzi said. "I'll return the score then. Laura, Dr. Fell has to sing for his supper before the dragons at the Studiolo."

"I'm sure you'll sing very well, Doctor," she said, giving him her great dark eyes – within the bound of propriety, but just.

Dr. Lecter smiled, with his small white teeth. "Madame, if I manufactured Fleur du Ciel, I would offer you the Cape Diamond to wear it. Until Friday night, _Commendatore_."

Pazzi made sure the doctor returned to his box, and did not look at him again until they waved good night at a distance on the theater steps.

"I gave you Fleur du Ciel for your birthday," Pazzi said.

"Yes, and I love it, Rinaldo," Signora Pazzi said. "You have the most marvelous taste."

**-Page Break-**

Starling had not been out of the room long when Mason Verger tooted the endmost pipe and said, "Cordell?" The male nurse from the playroom came in and read to him from the folder marked **Department of Child Welfare, City of Norton**.

"Matilda Sandler, is it? Look for Matilda," Mason said, and turned out his light.

* * *

**Tell me what you think!**


End file.
